Steve Ballmer

Bob Sacks (aka BoSacks) is a printing/publishing industry consultant and president of The Precision Media Group (BoSacks.com). He is also the co-founder of the research company Media-Ideas (Media-Ideas.net), and publisher and editor of a daily international e-newsletter, Heard on the Web. Sacks has held posts as director of manufacturing and distribution, senior sales manager (paper), chief of operations, pressman, circulator and almost every other job this industry has to offer.

The wait is over. Microsoft had been sending invites to a super secret event on Monday, June 18, where the company planned for a major announcement. No other details about the nature of the event had been disclosed. Microsoft chose to keep quiet on this particular topic and built quite some hype for the announcement. Speculation included the unveiling of a Barnes and Noble tablet, since Microsoft announced a $300 million, 17.6 percent stake in Barnes & Noble's Nook e-book business in April. However, a Barnes & Noble spokesperson said the company would not be a part of the